Sitting, watching, waiting, examining, listening, fingers brush against the pulse in it's throat, still there, thump, thump, thump, slow but steady, it's alive. Of course it is, chest rises and falls with the ragged breathing still healing from the bullet holes he put there, they were all but closed, it's healing was astonishing it mirrored the healing in his own body.

Questions rolled around in the healing mind of the dark haired grungy man as he watched over it, the mission laid out across a hollowed out backseat of a van that the weapon had stolen… no, that he had stolen… It was difficult to force his mind to transition from being the weapon to being a person, was he that person? He looked enough like him if you cut off all the hair and changed him completely, nothing in that place looked familiar except, except of course IT.

More sitting, waiting, watching, miles were between them and the river he had dragged it from, days between diving into the cold water and pulling it up. Van parked in some Hydra safe house garage, it was empty, not a person around to take him back or tell him what to do next. He'd failed, the mission was alive passed out by his feet, long blonde hair draped over it's shoulders spreading out around it's body, bullet wounds cleaned wrapped up tight, all abrasions cleaned and covered, lips chapped, face having only a few spots that showed yellow from healed bruises.

It was strange having no orders, he had followed the ones burned into him and brought himself back to them but no one was around to take him back to the icy cell, no one to do anything, no one except for himself. Pre-setting settled in, eat every 8 hours, drink a full bottle of water every 6, brush teeth, shower, shave or keep beard short, brush hair and keep it from getting too long, change clothing, if captured kill as many as possible before self termination.

Pulling the limp body out of the car, carrying it seems oddly familiar, it's heavier than he had expected, it's scent fills his lungs and that to is something he recognizes, this strange sense of knowing kept the mission alive, it stopped him dead in his tracks and kept him from killing it. Slung over his shoulder he carries it to a windowless room, the room would normally be his but it was the one that needed the rest, the room is empty, just a floor, walls and a door, he set it down on the cold cement and locked the door behind him.

/

Aching, her body only registered the aching in her torso and stiffness as she opened her eyes, it took longer than she liked to admit to figure out that no amount of blinking would clear the darkness away because the room itself was pitch black. Sitting up hurt but not as much as she had expected, feeling her chest for the bullet wounds she didn't find her old world war two suit but just a thin shirt instead, under the shirt her wounds were covered. Thinking hard she remembered falling, hitting the freezing water and sinking, getting to her feet in the darkness Stephanie put her arms out and started feeling around, once her hand clumsily bumped into wall she followed it around the room feet stumbling. The feel of a door under her hands was a relief, she grabbed at the knob and jiggled it around, it was locked, of course it was locked.

"H-Hello? Is someone out there?" She called out. "Wh… Where am I?" Stephanie whispered to herself.

Placing her ear to the door she tried to listen for any sounds but it was silent, a sigh passed her lips as she turned so her forehead was against the door instead of her ear, where was she? How was she even alive? She should be in a body bag somewhere or a hospital, if any of her friends had found her she would be right? Maybe the government had decided she was too dangerous and locked her away, but if that was what happened wouldn't she be in a prison cell?

Blinding lights suddenly clicked on and Stephanie flinched covering her unadjusted eyes, she blinked away the sharpness of the fluorescent lights then looked around for a camera or anything that would be a sign she was being watched, the room was empty. Turning back to the door Stephanie looked at the knob waiting for it to turn but it didn't, kneeling down she reached into her hair for one of her bobby pins but her hair was down, it fell over her shoulders and down her back stopping just a few inches above her hips, her hair was never down on missions.

Stephanie stood back upright looking herself over, she was dressed in a simple white muscle shirt, black sweat pants and the gauze that covered her gun shot wounds. Unwrapping the white gauze from around her chest, the wounds were healed almost fully, she wondered who had patched her up, her mind clicked remembering what she had forgotten, Bucky, Bucky had been there with her when the helicarrier went down.

Turning back to the door Stephanie used all the strength she had to kick the door by the lock trying to break it down but it was solid, she sighed and backed away from the door wishing she didn't have to do what she had to do. Running at the door she used her full body weight to slam into the door, it burst open sending Stephanie stumbling out of the empty room, once she got her footing a sudden punch came flying at her and she just barely managed to avoid it only to get knocked off her feet. Once she hit the floor hands grabbed her wrists and a knee was pinning her torso down, before she took the time to see who it was she brought her leg up to kick the person but he caught her leg with one hand as the old held her wrists together.

"Bucky!" Stephanie gasped.

He just looked down at her with empty eyes, she smiled up at him trying to wiggle her hands out of his hold, his grip was too strong and it tightened till it hurt as she struggled to get free.

"Buck it's me! Stephanie, Stephanie Rogers."

Still he just looked at her no emotions showing in his face or eyes, it was blank, empty, cold, it was like looking into the eyes of Iron man when he was in his suit, Stephanie stopped moving and let the emotions roll her over. It was him, he was alive but he wasn't there, the Bucky she knew was lost in the emptiness that stared her down.

"I know who you are. Captain America." The words were hollow as they left his mouth.

The grip on her wrists eased up till it was gone altogether, he backed off of her letting some distance between them, Stephanie started to get up but that seemed to agitate Bucky so she just stayed down.

"I know you, why do I know you?" He asked completely still, crouching on his toes without even looking at her.

"Because we grew up together… Buck, you're my best pal."

"I don't remember that."

"What did they do to you Buck?" Stephanie whispered, it made Bucky look down at her confused.

"I don't know…." He said blankly staring at nothing, getting lost in it. "But I'll find out."